Rift Rivals 2018 LCK-LPL-LMS: A look back at day one

Rift Rivals is in full swing, with each League of Legends region competing for the tournament bragging rights.

All eyes are on Asia, with representatives from Korea, China and Taiwan competing for the the best of Asia title.

Day one of the competition started with a match between China’s Royal Never Give Up and Flash Wolves from Taiwan. The Taiwanese team defeated RNG after 33 minutes of action.

The day continued with Edward Gaming and Invictus Gaming winning points for the Chinese team.

Rift Rivals 2018 LCK-LPL-LMS offers plenty of surprises

The big surprise of the day was Kt Rolster. The Korean team managed to win against MAD Team and Rogue Warriors. Currently in fifth place in the Summer Split, Kt Rolster has been struggling to keep its place near the top of the LCK standings.

The team lead by Song “Smeb” Kyung-ho looked strong in the rift with one-sided victories.

Afreeca Freecs, the Spring Splits runner-up, started their first international appearance with a negative record.

Considered one of the strongest Korean teams, Afreeca lacks the international experience necessary to succeed. This is the biggest test for the team to date, and Afreeca must find wins in Rift Rivals if they want to be a real contenders in the upcoming World Championship.

SK Telecom T1, the iconic Korean team, also asserted its dominance against Machi Esports from the LMS.

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok and company won their first international game of the year after being considered as the weaker team in the Korea squad. SKT is back on the international stage after missing the Mid-Season Invitational for the first time since 2015.

The team is currently in seventh place in the LCK with five losses and only three wins.

King-Zone Dragon X, the spring champions, did not play on day one. The team will play on day two against Flash Wolves and RNG. King-Zone goes into the rift hoping for a good result after losing to both teams in MSI.